Rapid Discrimination and Sensitive Detection of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances on Cataluminescence Sensor Array

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose serious threats to ecosystems and human health owing to their exceptional chemical stability and environmental persistence, underscoring the need for rapid, simple, and reliable methods for their identification and detection. In this study, a high-performance cataluminescence (CTL) sensor array based on Eu3+-doped Y2O3 (Eu/Y2O3) was developed for the effective discrimination and detection of five representative PFAS. By integrating the CTL response features of PFAS on Eu/Y2O3 with different Eu doping contents, which collectively encode thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of the gas−solid interfacial reactions, specific multidimensional fingerprints were constructed, enabling efficient PFAS discrimination. Meanwhile, combining CTL responses and material surface properties, the optimal 7%Eu/Y2O3 was selected to achieve quantitative detection of the five PFAS. Mechanistic studies indicate that PFAS oxidation on Eu/Y2O3 generates excited CO2* intermediates that may transfer energy to Eu3+ centers, thereby enhancing CTL emission, while fluorine-containing reactive intermediates arising from C−F bond cleavage interact with Y3+ sites in Y2O3, further promoting the interfacial CTL process. This work provides a novel sensing strategy for rapid recognition and sensitive detection of PFAS, offering a promising approach of environmental monitoring.